Automotive supplier uses NX in all phases of the product lifecycle to increase market share by 11 percent

Emphasizing design

Euroform is a familiar brand to numerous suppliers in the automotive industry. The company was founded in 1993 in Hungary, and since then it has become a leading manufacturer and supplier of tools for plastic injection molded parts, serving markets in Slovakia, Germany, Switzerland and South Korea. Euroform designs and manufactures an average of 150 to 170 different molding tools annually.

With a strong presence in a number of sectors, including home applicances, Euroform thrives in the automotive industry, designing and manufacturing tools for the production of acoustic housings, air intake systems, pedals, glass enclosures, housing elements, chassis shock absorbers and bellows. Its products are molded parts that weigh anywhere from 5 grams to 5 kilograms.

Euroform prides itself on not compromising when it comes to creativity, quality, deadlines and costs, which is why it can often be found one step ahead of the market. “The design phase is of decisive importance in the production of plastic molding tools, and that’s the reason that Euroform chose NX,” says István Harcsa, the Euroform tools plant manager.

Boosting market share

Euroform used computer-aided design (CAD) software even before the introduction of NX™ software from product lifecycle management (PLM) specialist Siemens Digital Industries Software. At first, Euroform used I-deas™ software, which is now integrated into NX. However, with some of the company’s suppliers using NX to design products, the company took the opportunity to get familiar with the advantages of the comprehensive product development system. In 2011, Euroform transitioned entirely to NX, which it continues to use to create 3D designs and molding simulations, and to perform drafting.

“By using NX, the duration of our designing processes has decreased to roughly half the time it used to take us,” says Harcsa. “Today, we can design a tool – depending on its complexity – in about two to three days, so we can serve many more customers than in the past. We have also increased our market share by 11 percent.

Euroform engages NX in the bidding phase and continues its use throughout the product lifecycle. For example, with NX, project leaders assess the models and drafts that are used to calculate the tool parameters and the required standard elements in order to get bids to customers faster.

After the bid phase, Euroform starts by designing the tool housing, shaping surfaces and cooling systems based on the 3D models that it received from the customer.

Utilizing graphIT for training and special projects

“We recognized that we have to keep up with the most innovative technologies in order to remain market leaders in the industry,” says Harcsa. “This is why it is crucial for us to make the latest version of NX accessible to our engineers.”

Euroform uses graphIT, a Siemens Digital Industries Software partner, for ongoing NX training and technical support. “They are an important part of our success, providing excellent training and technical support on NX,” says Harcsa. “We design a large number of tools, so we had to develop a unified knowledge base – containing crucial design standard information – that can be accessed by every engineer working at our company. The professional knowledge of graphIT was critical in helping us develop a unified knowledge base that is accessible to every engineer.”

Achieving cost-efficient development

When creating molding tools, Euroform has to consider not only how the tool will be used, but also how the equipment that is manufactured using the molding tools will be used. “We use NX to design and simulate the tool. Moreover, early in the process, we achieve precision and functionality that results in a longer lifespan for our molding tools,” says Harcsa. “NX Mold Wizard provides the right stuff for the cost-efficient development of molded plastic parts.”